Rafael Benitez is also a potentially alluring appointment, but the Newcastle United manager is highly rated by Magpies owner Mike Ashley, who inserted a £6 million release clause into the Spaniard’s contract. Benitez is understood to want an annual salary of £10m on top, meaning any appointment is unlikely to be cost effective.

Sullivan and David Gold, though, are under Benitez’s spell, and attempted to appoint the ex-Liverpool boss before his move to Real Madrid in 2015, with the Hammers eventually hiring Slaven Bilic.

Paulo Fonseca has also been interviewed for the role, and he would be a less expensive appointment, but he has decided to sign a new two-year contract with Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk.

West Ham decided to dispense with Moyes amid simmering fan discontent in east London after the club finished the Premier League season in 13th, nine points clear of the relegation zone.

A wildly unpopular move to the London Stadium from Upton Park in 2016 has led to ongoing protests, while poor results saw a slide towards the bottom three, and calls for the boardroom trio of Sullivan, Gold and Karren Brady to leave the club.

Moyes guided the club to eight wins in his tenure after replacing Bilic in November, including success over Chelsea and a 4-1 thumping of the impressive Huddersfield, and nine draws, taking four points from games against Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United. However, 10 losses, eight of which involved conceding three or more goals, has led to a hankering for change at West Ham, despite a morale-boosting 3-1 final day victory over Everton.

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Gold had stated on Tuesday that he “hopes” Moyes stays on, but the club have instead opted to go down a different route.

With West Ham wanting to play attractive, attacking football, it is understood that Moyes’ conservative approach throughout his reign – despite numerous heavy defeats – had frustrated many.

Moyes, himself, had been disappointed in a number of leaks to the media, while his January signings Patrice Evra and striker Jordan Hugill failed to make a significant impact.